Adjustable coupling



Feb. 20, 1962 R. BRUSCAGLIONI 3,022,099

ADJUSTABLE COUPLING Filed Dec. 2, 1959 Fig. 1

IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent Q 3,022,099 ADJUSTAB E COUPLING RafaelloBruscaglioni, Milan, Italy, assignor to Filotecnica Salmoiraghi S.p.A.,Milan, Italy, a firm Filed Dec. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 856,738 iaimspriority, application Italy Dec. 9, 1958 7 Claims. (Cl. 287-53) Thepresent invention relates to adjustable couplings and more particularlyto an adjustable coupling, for example, for use in automatic sewingmachines.

It is already known that in sewing machines of the so called automatickind the stitches constituting the embroidery pattern are formed bymeans of a single cam or cam unit which is removably installed in such aWay as to allow substitution thereof and is operated by the machinedriving mechanism.

It is also known that the cam or cam unit can be mounted in a singleposition so that only a single connection thereof with the drivingmember is possible. Under such circumstances the embroidery may startfrom any pattern. point and it is to be understood that the embroiderymay end in general at a different point depending exclusively upon theposition of the cam when stopping of the sewing machine has taken place.This is clearly a drawback of such an embroidering system above all whenwork suspension and resumption in successive steps is required.

An object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable couplingfor a cam unit having a plurality of installing positions characterizedby a suitable graduation and which enables embroidery to begin at anypoint of a pattern as required by the operator, with the advan tage ofbeing able to resume with accuracy the embroidery pattern of an articlewhich had been Worked on and which had been laid aside.

The accompanying drawing given only by way of example shows one of thepossible embodiments of the present invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the cam unit according to the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a front view of the cam unit of FIG. 1.

Referring to the figures, 1 indicates the shaft as operated by thedriving mechanism of the sewing machine and arranged in the framethereof.

The cam unit 3 is inserted on a sleeve or bushing 2 and secured theretotogether with the front ring 4.

The bushing 2 is provided with a plurality of radial slots 5 and,together with said cam unit, is fitted on the shaft 1 and is connectedto said shaft by means of a resilient stationary fork 6. This forkcomprises one but preferably more springy fingers each having an arcuateprong 7 receivable in one of the substantially radial slots 5 providedin that portion of the bushing which extends beyond the free end of theshaft 1. Each finger has a portion projecting into a bore extendinginwardly from the free end of the shaft 1, and each of these portions issecured to the shaft.

The front ring 4 is provided with a graduated dial such as illustratedin FIG. 2 and is associated with a pointer 8 secured to the frame of thesewing machine.

When an interruption of the embroidering occurs, the operator has totake note of the graduation mark which is aligned with the pointerbefore he removes the cam; if he wishes to resume embroidering in thesame position of the pattern in which the interruption took place, it isenough that upon adjustment of the cam or cam unit the pointer is againaligned with the same graduation mark through suitable insertion andfastening of the cam or cam unit in the associated notches.

If an embroidery catalogue with a graduation as above referred to is atthe disposal of the operator, it is not necessary that he take note ofthe graduation mark as he will have the indication of the cam graduationmark to register with the stationary pointer at the work resumption by acomparison of the interruption point of the embroidery pattern with thatof the corresponding catalogue pattern.

I claim:

1. A shaft end attachment comprising, in combination, a shaft; a springyfinger secured to and extending beyond a free end of said shaft andhaving an arcuate free end portion located beyond said end of said shaftand having a convex surface directed away from the axis of said shaftand spaced from said axis by a distance greater than the radius of saidshaft; and a sleeve into which said shaft slidably extends, said sleeveextending beyond said end of said shaft and being formed in its interiorwith a groove receiving said arcuate portion of said finger so that thelatter connects said sleeve to said shaft in a predetermined angularposition with respect thereto.

2. A shaft end attachment comprising, in combination, a shaft; a pair ofdiametrically opposed springy fingers secured to and extending beyond anend of said shaft, said springy fingers respectively having oppositelycurved arcuate portions directed toward each other, said arcuateportions of said fingers having concave surfaces directed toward eachother and convex surfaces directed away from each other and said convexsurfaces being spaced from the axis of said shaft by a distance greaterthan the radius of said shaft; and a sleeve into which said shaftslidably extends, said sleeve extending beyond said end of said shaftand being formed beyond said end of said shaft with a pair of internaldiametrically opposed grooves respectively receiving said arcuateportions of said fingers so that the latter connect said sleeve to saidshaft in a predetermined angular position with respect thereto.

3. A shaft end attachment comprising, in combination, a shaft; a pair ofdiametricaliy opposed springy fingers secured to and extending beyond anend of said shaft, said fingers having arcuate free end portions locatedbeyond said end of said shaft and said arcuate free end portionrespectively having concave surfaces directed toward each other andconvex surfaces directed away from each other and spaced from the axisof said shaft by a distance greater than the radius of said shaft; and asleeve into which said shaft slidably extends, said sleeve extendingbeyond said end of said shaft and being formed beyond said end of saidshaft with a plurality of pms of diametrically opposed internal groovesdistributed about the axis of said sleeve so that said springy fingersmay be selectively received in one of the pairs of diametrically opposedgrooves for connecting said sleeve to said shaft in a selected angularposition with respect thereto.

4. A shaft end attachment comprising, in combination, a shaft; a pair ofdiametrically opposed springy fingers secured to and extending beyond anend of said shaft, said fingers respectively having arcuate free endportions located beyond said shaft and said arcuate finger portionrespectively having concave surfaces directed toward each other andconvex surfaces directed away from each other and spaced from the axisof said shaft by a distance greater than the radius thereof; and asleeve into which said shaft slidably extends, said sleeve having a freeend portion extending beyond said end of said shaft and said free endportion of said sleeve being formed with a plurality of pairs ofdiametrically opposed axially extending notches in the interior of saidsleeve extending from an end of said sleeve located beyond said end ofsaid shaft toward said end of said shaft and said arcuate fingerportions being selectively received in one of said pair of diametricallyopposed notches for releasably connecting said sleeve to said shaft in apreselected angular position with respect thereto.

5.. A shaft end attachment comprising, in combination, a shaft formedwith an axial bore extending along the interior of said shaft from oneend thereof; an elongated substantially V -shaped springy memberextending into said bore and having its apex located in said bore, saidspringy member being secured to said shaft and having a pair of arcuatefree end portions located beyond said end of said shaft, respectivelyhaving concave surfaces directed toward each other and convex surfacesdirected away from each other and spaced from the axis of said shaft bya distance greater than the radius of said shaft; and a sleeve intowhich saidshaft slidably extends, said sleeve extending beyond said endof said shaft and being formed beyond said end of said shaft with atleast one pair of diametrically opposed internal grooves receiving saidarcuate portions of said member so that the latter connects said sleeve,to said shaft in a predetermined angular position with respect thereto.

6. An adjustable coupling comprising, in combination, a rotary shaft; 21pair of springy fingers secured to and extending beyond an end of saidshaft and respectively having diametrically opposed arcuate portions,said arcuate portions having convex surfaces directed away from eachother and spaced from the axis of said shaft by a distance greater thanthe radius of said shaft; and a sleeve into which said shaft slidablyextends, said sleeve extending beyond said end of said shaft and beingformed in its interior with a pair of diametrically opposed groovesreceiving said arcuate portions of said fingers so that the latterremovably connects said sleeve to said shaft in a given angular positionwith respect thereto.

7. An adjustable coupling as recited in claim 6, further comprising astationary pointer, a dial carried by said sleeve for cooperation withsaid pointer to indicate the angular position of said sleeve withrespect to said shaft, and at least one pair of additional internalgrooves formed in said sleeve for selectively receiving said arcuateportions of said fingers so that said sleeve may be selectivelyconnected to said shaft in an angular position with respect theretoindicated by the cooperation of said dial and pointer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

